CAN GRIFFITH BE DEFEATED? SHOULD HE?

I have been wondering about Griffith from the anime/manga Berserk. Can he be defeated and should he be defeated? We all know Griffith did unforgivable things to achieve his ultimate goal of acquiring his kingdom ranging from sacrificing his army to the Apostles, raping Casca, and maiming and half-blinding Guts. However, I have been analyzing the storyline of Berserk and wonder what Griffith’s ultimate fate will be at the end of the story. Many people want Guts to kill Griffith in single combat, but I think such a scenario will be complicated both in actual combat and in the potential consequences Guts will create by slaying Griffith.

As a normal human being, Griffith can be defeated by Guts, but I don’t know if the same can be said of his status as both the God Hand Femto and the untouchable reincarnate. As Griffith demonstrated throughout the Kushan invasion and his battles with Emperor Ganishka, Griffith has the ability to thwart any and every attempt to attack him, which allowed him to defeat his enemies every single time. Guts has a tendency to defy fate and his large sword can wound a God Hand, but I don’t know if that will be enough to counter Griffith’s fate manipulation and untouchable aura. Guts may be able to wound Griffith, but I don’t think he can ultimately beat Griffith in the long run.

Also, even if Guts manages to slay Griffith, the consequences of his death will be tremendous and disastrous. Due to his exploits during the Kushan invasion, Griffith has established a solid reputation as a savior and hero. The Holy See religion also sees Griffith as their messiah and the lynchpin to their faith. The telepathic medium Sonia is blindly devoted to Griffith and even if she fully read Griffith’s mind and saw what he did, it is questionable if she would turn on him after saving her from the Kushans. Even if Guts forces Griffith to reveal his true form as Femto to the world, I doubt they will turn on him because they came to accept the Apostles after they revealed their true forms in the final battle against Emperor Ganishka. Overall, due to his status as a hero who saved Midland not once but twice and the messiah of the Holy See religion, Griffith has established himself as the lynchpin to the human world. Without the lynchpin, the whole system will come crashing down. If Guts reveals everything Griffith has done and kills him, he will not save the world; he will tear it apart.

With this in mind, I think Berserk will have a bittersweet ending like Game of Thrones. Despite his thirst for vengeance and hatred for Griffith, Guts may have to accept that Griffith is holding the world together or risk turning the entire world against him and Casca. But in the end, Guts and Casca will be together until the end of their days.